Warriors guard Gary Payton II out indefinitely with torn right calf after leaving loss to Kings early

Gary Payton II has averaged 5.9 points and 3.1 rebounds off the bench this season for the Warriors

Staff writer

Thu, Nov 30, 2023, 1:32 AM·2 min read

The Golden State Warriors will be without guard Gary Payton II for the immediate future.

Payton sustained a torn right calf and will be sidelined indefinitely, The Athletic's Shams Charania reported Wednesday. The Warriors have not provided a timeline for his return, but Payton is expected to be out for a substantial amount of time.

Payton went down with a non-contact injury late in the third quarter of the Warriors' 124-123 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night. After coming off a screen trying to defend De'Aaron Fox at the Golden 1 Center, Payton suddenly pulled up and started grabbing toward his right leg in pain.

He then hopped off the floor and limped to the locker room.

Gary Payton II limped to the locker room after suffering a non-contact injury to his right leg.

Hope he's okay 🙏pic.twitter.com/XFBs4R3WiH
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 29, 2023

Payton finished with seven points and five rebounds in 17 minutes off the bench in the Warriors' final in-season tournament game. The Warriors, despite leading by 21 points just before halftime, slipped in the fourth quarter and fell by a single point behind a 29-point, near-triple-double performance from Fox. The Warriors had to win the game by 12 points or more to make it into the knockout stage of the in-season tournament.

Gary Payton II hopped off the court in pain after injuring his right calf on Tuesday night in Sacramento, and did not return. (Jane Tyska/Digital First Media/East Bay Times via Getty Images)

Payton has averaged 5.9 points and 3.1 rebounds off the bench this season, his first full one back with the Warriors after a short stint with the Portland Trail Blazers last season. The 30-year-old is in the second year of a three-year, $26.1 million deal.